La vendita allo scoperto per Bank of America dà agli investitori un'idea del grado in cui gli investitori stanno scommettendo sul declino delle azioni di Bank of America. I dati relativi alle vendite allo scoperto vengono aggiornati ogni due settimane.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Azioni, Report sulle vendite allo scoperto

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, with more than $3.0 trillion in assets. It is organized into four major segments: consumer banking, global wealth and investment management, global banking, and global markets. Bank of America's consumer-facing lines of business include its network of branches and deposit-gathering operations, retail lending products, credit and debit cards, and small-business services. The company's Merrill Lynch operations provide brokerage and wealth-management services, as does its private bank. Wholesale lines of business include investment banking, corporate and commercial real estate lending, and capital markets operations. Bank of America has operations in several countries but is primarily US-focused.

Warren Buffett vende $863M di azioni Bank of America, riducendo la partecipazione al 10%. Scopri le implicazioni di questa mossa.

Warren Buffett si muove: Berkshire Hathaway riduce le partecipazioni in Bank of America di $863M

Equities

News

Markets

Ajit Jain riduce la sua partecipazione in Berkshire Hathaway vendendo il 55% delle azioni: speculazioni su motivi e impatti.

Warrent Buffet perde pezzi: Ajit Jain vende Berkshire Hathaway

AAPL

Warren Buffett ha visto crollare il suo investimento in Occidental Petroleum: scopri se questa mossa si è rivelata davvero un errore.

Stavolta Warren Buffett ha fatto un buco nell&#39;acqua?

Bank of America Corp

Berenson Acquisition Corp. I Class A Common Stock

Berenson Acquisition Corp I

Berenson Acquisition Corp I Warrants (01/08/2026)

BANK OF CHINA LTD ORD by Bank of China, Ltd.

Bank Of China Ltd

BANK OF CHINA UNSP/ADR by Bank of China, Ltd.

IMAC Holdings Inc

Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. I

Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp I

BANK OF AMERICA 7.00B PFD by Bank of America Corp.

Bank of America Corporation Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 6.000% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series GG

Bank of America Corporation Depositary Sh repstg 1/1000th Perp Pfd Ser E

Bank of America Corporation Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.875% Non- Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series HH

Bank of America Corporation Non Cumulative Perpetual Conv Pfd Ser L

Bank of America Corporation Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.375% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series KK

Bank of America Corporation Depositary shares, each representing 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.000% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series LL

Bank of America Corporation Depositary shares, each representing 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.375% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series NN

Bank of America Corporation Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.125% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series PP

Bank of America Corporation Depositary shares, each representing 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series QQ

Bank of America Corporation Depositary shares, each representing 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series SS

Sallie Mae Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLM#NASDAQ">SLM</a>) stock is trading higher on Wednesday. Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) initiated coverage of the student loan provider with a Buy rating and set a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/insights/analyst-ratings/24/09/41012042/demystifying-slm-insights-from-7-analyst-reviews">price target of $27</a>.
The Details: Sallie Mae currently holds a 58% market share in private student loans, however, the bank indicates there&#8217;s room for growth, describing the lender as &#8220;poised for market share gains.&#8221;
Bank of America points to growth in college enrollment, increase in the price of college and competitors leaving the student loan market to support its market share growth belief. Specifically, the bank stated that college enrollment is estimated to grow by about 4% by 2027 and the cost of college has increased at a 3% compound annual growth rate since 1993-94.
The bank pointed to the past as evidence of Sallie Mae&#8217;s ability to take advantage of competitors exit from the market. For instance, the lender increased its market share by 60pbs during the 2021-22 school year following Wells Fargo&#8217;s exit.
Also, the bank highlighted the lender&#8217;s focus on high credit-quality consumers. It stated that less than 8% of borrowers at the time of originations had a credit score lower than 670. Next, the note recognized the lender&#8217;s efficient business model.
&#8220;Sallie Mae began a strategy in 2020 in which it seeks to minimize balance sheet growth and accelerate share repurchases by selling student loans at high execution levels due to its strong credit profile. Through the &#8220;loan sale arbitrage&#8221; strategy, SLM has driven attractive returns, while not needing to expand capital levels to sustain its industry leading origination volumes,&#8221; said the bank.
Bank of America also recognized some risks to its thesis including, scrutiny by oversight organizations like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a growing number of students choosing to consolidate or refinance with firms that offer interest rates lower than Sallie Mae&#8217;s.
Related Link: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40971831/putin-ally-who-unveiled-tesla-cybertruck-with-machine-gun-last-month-now-says-elon-musk-remotely-dis?itm_source=parsely-api">Putin Ally Who Unveiled Tesla Cybertruck With Machine Gun Last Month Now Says Elon Musk &#8216;Remotely Disabled&#8217; The Militarized EV</a>
SLM Price Action: At the time of writing, Sallie Mae shares are trading 1.90% higher at $21.94, according to data from <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Image: Photo via Shutterstock

Movers

What's Going On With Sallie Mae Stock Wednesday?

Guidance

Management

Events

UPDATE: BofA CFO Alastair Borthwick Earlier Said "When We Are Looking At The Rate Path, We Tend For Planning Purposes To Use The Forwards... The Research View At Bank Of America, Where People Are Telling Us That The End Place Will End Up Somewhere 2.75% Or 3%, I Think Is The Latest Thinking, Which Would Restore It Would Be Sort Of A More Normal Rate Structure In The U.S."

Federal Reserve

Bank Of America CFO Borthwick Said Expects Terminal Rate Of 2.75%-3%

Bank Of America CFO Alastair Borthwick, Speaking At Financials CEO Conference, Said Consumer Spending Is Growing Albeit At A Slower Pace; Said Fed Seems To Be Winning The Inflation Battle

Warren Buffett&#8217;s Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/24/09/40838437/warren-buffett-sells-more-bank-of-america-stock-should-you-follow-his-lead-or-invest-fur">sold an additional $863 million</a> of Bank of America Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) stock, reducing its stake closer to a 10% regulatory threshold, according to the company&#8217;s regulatory filing with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
What Happened: Berkshire now owns close to 10% of the second-largest U.S. bank after the latest disposals over three trading days through Tuesday. 
Buffett, 94, began trimming the massive investment in mid-July. Despite months of sales, Berkshire's remaining stake in Bank of America is valued at $32.1 billion, based on Tuesday's closing price, maintaining its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/24/09/40838437/warren-buffett-sells-more-bank-of-america-stock-should-you-follow-his-lead-or-invest-fur">position as the largest shareholder</a>.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40972893/trumps-mars-landing-promise-gets-slammed-by-peter-schiff-even-as-elon-musk-says-spacex-plans-5-launc?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Mars Landing Promise Gets Slammed By Peter Schiff Even As Elon Musk Says SpaceX Plans 5 Launches To Red Planet In 2 Years: &#8216;Just Don&#8217;t Want The Government To Do It&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan recently commented on Buffett&#8217;s sales, stating <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40805571/bank-of-america-ceo-on-buffetts-share-retreat-i-dont-know-what-exactly-he-is-doing-we-cant-ask">he has not inquired about the reasons behind the reduction</a>. Moynihan praised Buffett&#8217;s investment history with the bank but admitted, &#8220;I don't know what exactly he is doing because frankly we can't ask.&#8221; This statement was made during an investor conference in New York.
Meanwhile, Bank of America is actively <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/09/40983831/bank-of-america-ramps-up-expansion-over-165-new-financial-centers-set-to-open-across-63-us-marke">expanding its retail banking presence</a>. The bank announced plans to open over 165 new financial centers across 63 U.S. markets by the end of 2026. This expansion includes nearly 40 centers set to open this year alone, with the first center in Louisville, Kentucky, opening recently.
Additionally, Ajit Jain, a top executive at Berkshire Hathaway, sold more than half of his shares in the Buffett-led company for approximately $139 million <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/09/40848692/warren-buffetts-top-executive-ajit-jain-sells-over-half-his-berkshire-hathaway-stake-for-139m-am">amid speculation on stock valuation</a> and potential tax policies.
Price Action: Bank of America stock closed at $39.45 on Tuesday, down 1.05% for the day. In after-hours trading, the stock dropped 0.051%. Year to date, the stock has gained 16.37%, accroding to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/login">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
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</ul>
Image via Gates Foundation
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Warren Buffett Moves: Berkshire Hathaway Reduces Bank Of America Holdings By $863M

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>SOFI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$8.00</td>
<td>$86.1K</td>
<td>35.6K</td>
<td>2.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SCHW</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$69.00</td>
<td>$75.7K</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>COF</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
<td>$156.0K</td>
<td>540</td>
<td>408</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$500.00</td>
<td>$49.5K</td>
<td>355</td>
<td>345</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$170.00</td>
<td>$64.0K</td>
<td>384</td>
<td>326</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FUTU</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$85.00</td>
<td>$69.1K</td>
<td>1.2K</td>
<td>259</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$37.00</td>
<td>$31.0K</td>
<td>37.2K</td>
<td>200</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EG</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$370.00</td>
<td>$35.0K</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>150</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RKT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$19.00</td>
<td>$25.2K</td>
<td>607</td>
<td>144</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AXP</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$240.00</td>
<td>$25.6K</td>
<td>7.6K</td>
<td>105</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• For SOFI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOFI#NASDAQ">SOFI</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 115 day(s) on January 17, 2025. This event was a transfer of 1000 contract(s) at a $8.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $86.1K, with a price of $86.0 per contract. There were 35685 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2907 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding SCHW (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCHW#NYSE">SCHW</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 24 day(s) on October 18, 2024. Parties traded 1065 contract(s) at a $69.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 24 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $75.7K, with a price of $71.0 per contract. There were 19 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1067 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding COF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>), we observe a put option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 52 day(s) on November 15, 2024. Parties traded 300 contract(s) at a $140.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $156.0K, with a price of $520.0 per contract. There were 540 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 408 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MA#NYSE">MA</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 52 day(s) on November 15, 2024. This event was a transfer of 23 contract(s) at a $500.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $49.5K, with a price of $2155.0 per contract. There were 355 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 345 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For BX (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BX#NYSE">BX</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 178 day(s) on March 21, 2025. This event was a transfer of 80 contract(s) at a $170.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 12 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $64.0K, with a price of $800.0 per contract. There were 384 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 326 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For FUTU (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FUTU#NASDAQ">FUTU</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 115 day(s) on January 17, 2025. This event was a transfer of 144 contract(s) at a $85.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $69.1K, with a price of $480.0 per contract. There were 1219 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 259 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding BAC (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>), we observe a put option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 479 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $37.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $31.0K, with a price of $310.0 per contract. There were 37245 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 200 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding EG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EG#NYSE">EG</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 52 day(s) on November 15, 2024. Parties traded 50 contract(s) at a $370.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $35.0K, with a price of $700.0 per contract. There were 1 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 150 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding RKT (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RKT#NYSE">RKT</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 87 day(s) on December 20, 2024. Parties traded 144 contract(s) at a $19.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 9 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.2K, with a price of $175.0 per contract. There were 607 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 144 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AXP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 479 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 5 contract(s) at a $240.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.6K, with a price of $5130.0 per contract. There were 7683 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 105 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Options

FUTU

SCHW

SOFI

10 Financials Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

Macro Notification

General

Bank Of America CEO Brian Moynihan Says US Fed Rate Cut Is A Good Start

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) said it is on track to launch over 165 new centers in 63 markets by the end of 2026,<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/09/n40977123/bofa-to-open-more-than-165-financial-centers-by-end-of-2026" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> including nearly 40 centers this year</a>.
This expansion follows the opening of more than 100 centers in the last two years.
Bank of America is expanding its retail banking presence in Kentucky with the opening of its first financial center in the Louisville area today, followed by a second center set to open on October 7.
The bank plans to establish a total of five financial centers in the Louisville market by the end of 2025.
This latest expansion will increase Bank of America&#8217;s total number of financial centers in Kentucky to 10 by the end of 2027.
Since 2014, Bank of America has invested over $5 billion in growing its financial center network by opening locations in new and existing markets nationwide.
This month, Bank of America appointed Jim Rourke and Michael Liu to lead a new initiative integrating <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/09/40902762/bank-of-america-appoints-executives-to-lead-new-venture-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">investment banking and wealth management</a>.
The Private Client Partnership Development aims to boost asset growth and deal opportunities, focusing on sell-side M&amp;A.
Investors can gain access to the stock via&nbsp;First Trust Nasdaq Bank ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FTXO#NASDAQ">FTXO</a>)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Invesco KBW Bank ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBWB#NASDAQ">KBWB</a>).
Price Action: BAC shares are down 0.53% at $40.06 at the last check Monday.
Image via Shutterstock
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</ul>

Large Cap

FTXO

KBWB

Bank Of America Ramps Up Expansion: Over 165 New Financial Centers Set To Open Across 63 US Markets By 2026

Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fitb#NASDAQ">FITB</a>) shares touched a 52-week high of $43.85 on Thursday following the Federal Reserve&#39;s announcement of a 50-basis points interest rate cut.
The FITB stock closed slightly lower at $43.64, gaining nearly 18% over the past six months. It has outperformed its industry, the S&amp;P 500 Index and its close peers like Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cma#NYSE">CMA</a>) and Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bac#NYSE">BAC</a>) in the same time frame.
<h3>Six-Month Price Performance</h3>
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/f3/78671.jpg?v=1259988145" />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
<h2>Key Drivers Behind FITB Stock&#39;s New 52-Week High</h2>
A major factor for this upward movement of FITB stock can be attributed to the Federal Reserve&#39;s aggressive start to monetary policy easing.
On Wednesday, the central bank signaled two additional rate cuts this year to support the economy. Fed officials further indicated plans for four more cuts in 2025 and two in 2026.
The interest rate cut is a positive development for banks, including Fifth Third, CMA and BAC, which have been struggling with rising funding cost pressures. While higher rates have led to a significant jump in banks&#39; net interest income (NII) the same led to increased funding costs, which squeezed margins.
FITB&#39;s NII has witnessed a three-year (2020-2023) compound annual growth rate of 6.8%. However, the company&#39;s NII declined in the first half of 2024 due to higher funding costs.
So now that the Fed has cut the rates, funding costs will gradually stabilize and eventually start declining, thus supporting FITB&#39;s NII.
<h2>Other Factors Supporting FITB&#39;s Performance</h2>
Raised Guidance: At the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference, FITB raised its third-quarter 2024 outlook. The bank stated that total revenues are now expected to rise 2-3% sequentially in the third quarter from its baseline of $2.2 billion compared with the previous guidance of a 1-2% increase. Also, management updated its non-interest income, now expecting a 3-4% increase from its baseline of $717 million, up from the earlier projection of a 1-2% rise.
Strategic Collaborations: The company has been expanding its embedded payments platform on the back of strategic partnerships, positioning itself for substantial growth in the commercial payments space. Fifth Third&#39;s embedded payments platform, Newline, entered into a collaborative agreement with Trustly in September. This collaboration aims to develop its pay-by-bank arrangements and payments made through the Automated Clearing House&nbsp;and Real Time Payments networks.
In July, the bank announced a collaborative agreement between its embedded payments arm, Newline, and Stripe, a financial infrastructure platform, to expand embedded financial services offerings.
In May 2024, in collaboration with Bottomline, Fifth Third launched Enhanced Payables &mdash; a new payment platform powered by the latter&#39;s business payments network, Paymode-X. This partnership offers customers access to a wide range of payment options, including invoice automation, virtual card payments, premium ACH payments, standard ACH payments, check payments and business-to-consumer payments.
Through such strategic collaborations, the bank anticipates commercial payments to be a $1 billion business in the next five years. This will eventually boost the company&#39;s non-interest income growth over time.
Balance Sheet: The bank has a strong liquidity position. As of June 30, 2024, the company had a total debt (long-term debt and other short-term borrowings) of $19.7 billion and total liquidity (cash and due from banks and other short-term investments) of $23.9 billion. The company&#39;s senior debt enjoyed investment-grade credit ratings of BBB+, A- and Baa1 from Standard &amp; Poor&#39;s, Fitch and Moody&#39;s, respectively. This will likely enable the company to access the debt market at favorable rates.
Impressive Capital Distribution: The company is expected to keep enhancing shareholder value through efficient capital distribution.&nbsp; This month, the company announced a 5.7% rise in quarterly dividend to 37 cents per share. It has increased its dividend five times in the last five years. At present, the company has a dividend payout ratio of 40% with an annualized dividend growth rate of 8.55%.
Similarly, BAC hiked quarterly dividends by 8.3% in July to 26 cents, while CMA has kept its dividend payouts steady at 71 cents per share since February 2023.&nbsp;
In addition to dividends, the company has an impressive share repurchase plan. FITB repurchased 3.5 million of its outstanding common shares in the first half of 2024 as part of the 100-million-share repurchase plan announced on June 18, 2019. As of June 30, 2024, 28.6 million shares remain available under the authorization. Going forward, the company expects to repurchase $200 million worth of shares for each remaining quarter of 2024. Such efforts will enhance shareholder value in the long term.
<h2>Few Concerns Prevail for FITB</h2>
Mounting Expenses: Fifth Third&#39;s non-interest expense saw a five-year CAGR of 2.8%, ending 2023. In the first half of 2024, the non-interest expenses remained flat compared with the same period of last year. Higher compensation and benefits expenses, as well as initiatives, such as branch expansion and digitization, will keep the company&#39;s expense base under pressure in the short term.
Limited Loan Portfolio Diversification: The company&#39;s loan portfolio comprises majorly of commercial loans (61.6% of total portfolio loans and leases as of June 30, 2024). The current rapidly changing macroeconomic backdrop may put some strain on commercial lending. Moreover, in case of any economic downturn, the asset quality of these credit categories might deteriorate. Thus, the lack of loan portfolio diversification is likely to hurt the company&#39;s financials if the economic situation worsens.
<h2>Final Words on FITB</h2>
FITB&#39;s inorganic expansion efforts and a robust balance sheet position, along with the Fed&#39;s recent rate cut, are set to support FITB&#39;s financials in the upcoming period.
<h3>Sales Estimate</h3>
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/ff/78672.jpg?v=1445542711" />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
<h3>EPS Estimate</h3>
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/dd/78673.jpg?v=1818770512" />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
<h2>Unlocking Valuation</h2>
FITB stock appears expensive relative to the industry. The company is currently trading at the 12-month trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) F12M ratio of 12.49%, above the industry&#39;s 11.59%.
<h3>P/E F12M</h3>
<img alt="Zacks Investment Research" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/4f/78674.jpg?v=758532752" />
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Though the rising expense and lack of diversification in its loan portfolio remain near-term concerns, FITB&#39;s long-term prospects remain bright.
Considering its expensive valuation, prospective investors can keep this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock on their radar and can wait for a better entry point.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2339412/fitb-stock-hits-52-week-high-on-fed-rate-cut-is-it-worth-retaining?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|price_surge_/_plunge-2339412">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Earnings

Mid Cap

Dividends

Analyst Ratings

Trading Ideas

FITB

FITB Stock Hits 52-Week High on Fed Rate Cut: Is It Worth Retaining?

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Bank of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with BAC, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=insights">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 17 uncommon options trades for Bank of America.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 64% bullish and 35%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $131,350, and 15 are calls, for a total amount of $810,953.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $37.0 to $50.0 for Bank of America over the recent three months. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Bank of America's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Bank of America's whale trades within a strike price range from $37.0 to $50.0 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>Bank of America Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1726844473_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$0.9</td>
<td>$0.89</td>
<td>$0.89</td>
<td>$40.00</td>
<td>$102.3K</td>
<td>11.2K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$3.2</td>
<td>$3.1</td>
<td>$3.1</td>
<td>$39.00</td>
<td>$74.0K</td>
<td>5.3K</td>
<td>478</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$3.6</td>
<td>$3.5</td>
<td>$3.56</td>
<td>$37.00</td>
<td>$71.2K</td>
<td>788</td>
<td>208</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$2.83</td>
<td>$2.81</td>
<td>$2.81</td>
<td>$39.00</td>
<td>$60.6K</td>
<td>12.1K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$2.88</td>
<td>$2.85</td>
<td>$2.87</td>
<td>$39.00</td>
<td>$60.2K</td>
<td>12.1K</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Bank of America</h3>
Bank of America is one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, with more than $3.0 trillion in assets. It is organized into four major segments: consumer banking, global wealth and investment management, global banking, and global markets. Bank of America's consumer-facing lines of business include its network of branches and deposit-gathering operations, retail lending products, credit and debit cards, and small-business services. The company's Merrill Lynch operations provide brokerage and wealth-management services, as does its private bank. Wholesale lines of business include investment banking, corporate and commercial real estate lending, and capital markets operations. Bank of America has operations in several countries but is primarily US-focused.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Bank of America, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Present Market Standing of Bank of America</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 15,525,512, the price of BAC is down -0.92% at $40.49. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 25 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Bank of America</h3>
1 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $45.0.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;utm_source=benzinga-insights">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Deutsche Bank has elevated its stance to Buy, setting a new price target at $45. 
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Bank of America, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

This Is What Whales Are Betting On Bank of America

WIIM

ALLY

ARES

BBVA

CRBG

LPLA

UPST

Shares of companies in the broader financial services and banking sectors are trading higher amid overall market strength following the Fed's rate cut, which could drive a rise in spending and lending demand.

In an aggressive start to its monetary policy easing, the Federal Reserve cut the interest rates by 50 basis points, bringing the fund rates to the 4.75-5% range.
This marked the end of an era of aggressive interest rate hikes to tame &quot;persistent&quot; inflation. The central also indicated two more rate cuts this year, which will bring the Fed funds rate down to 4.4% in 2024.
Following the announcement, the markets&#39; reaction was subdued, and all three major indexes ended in red on Wednesday. On the other hand, indexes related to banks, including the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index and the S&amp;P Banks Select Industry Index closed in green.
The interest rate cut is a positive development for banks like Bank of America (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bac#NYSE">BAC</a>), Citigroup (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/c#NYSE">C</a>) and Comerica (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cma#NYSE">CMA</a>). Banks have been reeling under increasing funding cost pressure. Though higher rates led to a significant jump in banks&#39; net interest income (NII), the same resulted in increased funding costs, which squeezed the net interest margin.
As interest rates come down, funding costs will gradually stabilize and then decline. Hence, this will alleviate pressure on NIM to some extent.
On the other hand, JPMorgan (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/jpm#NYSE">JPM</a>) is expected to witness a fall in NII next year. The company&#39;s president and chief operating officer, Daniel Pinto, during the Barclays Global Financial Services Conference on Sept. 10, warned about a potential decrease in the metric in 2025 because of rate cuts.
<h2>What Else Did the Fed Signal?</h2>
In addition to this year&#39;s further reduction in interest rates, the Fed officials, through its dot plot, signaled four more cuts in 2025 and two in 2026.
This will bring the interest rates close to 2.9% by the end of 2026. It is lower than the 3.1% forecasted during the June FOMC meeting. 
Fed&#39;s Dot Plot
<img alt="Federal Reserve" src="https://staticx-tuner.zacks.com/images/articles/charts/52/78412.jpg?v=538394579" />
Image Source: Federal Reserve
Additionally, the central bank came out with the latest summary of Economic Projects. Per the latest SEP data, the U.S. economy is anticipated to grow at the rate of 2% till 2026.
Moreover, the Fed officials noted that &quot;job gains have slowed and the unemployment rate has moved up but remains low.&quot; They lifted their expected unemployment rate to 4.4% for 2024 from the 4% forecasted at the last update in June.
The central bank lowered the inflation target to 2.3% for 2024 from 2.6% predicted in June.
<h2>How Will Banks Be Impacted?</h2>
Apart from the above-mentioned decrease in funding costs, lower rates mean a rise in loan demand. The lending scenario has been muted as the central bank began tightening its monetary policy in March 2022. This had been hurting banks&#39; financials immensely.
As the rates come down, loan demand is gradually expected to improve. The borrowers who have been on the sidelines because of higher rates are now expected to jump in.
Thus, banks including BAC, C, JPM and CMA are expected to benefit from a solid rebound in loan demand.
Lower rates will also result in a gradual improvement in banks&#39; asset quality as borrowers repay loans.
Nonetheless, all of these are not expected to occur immediately, and investors should not expect a total turnaround in banks&#39; financial performance, at least this year.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2338546/fed-cuts-interest-rates-by-50bps-what-this-means-for-bank-stocks?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-analyst_blog|industry_focus-2338546">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Fed Cuts Interest Rates by 50Bps: What This Means for Bank Stocks

Bank of America Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) shares are trading higher by 2.57% to $40.64 Thursday morning. Major indexes and several <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40937291/bank-stocks-hit-inflection-point-after-feds-50-basis-point-cut-analyst-reveal-top-p">bank stocks</a> are higher after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points.
Why This Matters: Bank of America, like other large banks, generates a significant portion of its income through its net interest margin, which is the difference between the interest it earns on loans and the interest it pays on deposits. 
While a rate cut might initially lower the income from loans, lower rates can stimulate borrowing, potentially increasing loan demand. BofA could capitalize on this with higher volumes of loans, boosting overall interest income despite the lower rates.
As a major lender, BofA stands to benefit from increased loan origination, particularly in mortgage lending, personal loans and corporate financing. This could improve the company&#8217;s loan portfolio and revenue streams.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40938732/wall-street-ramps-up-interest-rate-cut-bets-after-fed-meeting-the-hard-landing-crow">Wall Street Ramps Up Interest Rate Cut Bets After Fed Meeting: &#8216;The Hard-Landing Crowd Should Disperse,&#8217; Economist Says</a>
What Else: With rate cuts, consumers may also be more inclined to refinance existing debt or take on new debt at favorable rates. BofA could see increased activity in its consumer banking division, including mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. 
Increased consumer spending could also drive higher transaction volumes, which would benefit its wealth management and transaction services divisions. 
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/09/40938804/gamestop-ceo-ryan-cohen-penalized-nearly-1m-over-wells-fargo-share-acquisition">GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Penalized Nearly $1M Over Wells Fargo Share Acquisition</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How To Buy BAC Stock</h2>
Besides going to a brokerage platform to purchase a share &#8211; or fractional share &#8211; of stock, you can also gain access to shares either by buying an exchange traded fund (ETF) that holds the stock itself, or by allocating yourself to a strategy in your 401(k) that would seek to acquire shares in a mutual fund or other instrument. 
For example, in Bank of America&#8217;s case, it is in the Financials sector. An ETF will likely hold shares in many liquid and large companies that help track that sector, allowing an investor to gain exposure to the trends within that segment.
According to data from&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>, BAC has a 52-week high of $44.44 and a 52-week low of $24.96.

What's Going On With Bank Of America (BAC) Shares

Investors are on edge in the lead-up to the Wednesday Federal Open Market Committee interest rate decision that is expected to deliver the first cut to the federal funds rate <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40921827/fed-decision-is-here-5-things-investors-need-to-know-ahead-of-wednesdays-pivotal-in">in over four years.</a>
The market is divided on the magnitude of the anticipated rate cut. Traders are assigning a 59% probability to a 50-basis-point cut, while a 41% chance is placed on a more modest 25-basis-point reduction. The size of the rate cut is crucial as it could trigger significant market reactions.
Should the Fed opt for a 50-basis-point cut, it may be perceived as an acknowledgment that interest rates are overly restrictive. This could lead to increased expectations for further rate cuts in the coming months, potentially fueling risk sentiment and driving stock prices higher.
Conversely, a 25-basis-point cut might disappoint investors who are betting on a more aggressive measure.
Since the start of 2022, the S&amp;P 500, tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>), has experienced an average move of plus or minus 1.3% during FOMC events, reflecting the market&#8217;s high sensitivity to Fed policy decisions.
Goldman Sachs equity analysts, including John Marshall, analyzed stock movements during the first rate cuts in the previous three Fed easing cycles (Sept. 18, 2007, July 31, 2019 and March 3, 2020).
The data highlights the average moves of several key S&amp;P 500 stocks with liquid options during these periods.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Name</th>
<th>Absolute Average Move</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Caesars Entertainment Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CZR#NASDAQ">CZR</a>)</td>
<td>5.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)</td>
<td>5.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Capital One Financial Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>)</td>
<td>4.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Charles Schwab Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCHW#NYSE">SCHW</a>)</td>
<td>4.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Mastercard Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MA#NYSE">MA</a>)</td>
<td>4.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Fortinet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FTNT#NASDAQ">FTNT</a>)</td>
<td>4.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Marriott International (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAR#NASDAQ">MAR</a>)</td>
<td>4.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>American Express Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>)</td>
<td>3.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Newmont Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEM#NYSE">NEM</a>)</td>
<td>3.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>10</td>
<td>Deere &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DE#NYSE">DE</a>)</td>
<td>3.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>11</td>
<td>BlackRock Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLK#NYSE">BLK</a>)</td>
<td>3.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12</td>
<td>Texas Instruments Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TXN#NASDAQ">TXN</a>)</td>
<td>3.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>13</td>
<td>3M Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MMM#NYSE">MMM</a>)</td>
<td>3.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>14</td>
<td>Bank of America Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>)</td>
<td>3.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>15</td>
<td>JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>)</td>
<td>3.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>16</td>
<td>Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>)</td>
<td>3.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>17</td>
<td>Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABT#NYSE">ABT</a>)</td>
<td>3.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>18</td>
<td>Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBUX#NASDAQ">SBUX</a>)</td>
<td>2.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>19</td>
<td>Visa Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>)</td>
<td>2.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>20</td>
<td>Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>)</td>
<td>2.3%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/09/40908202/10-etfs-investors-secretly-bought-before-the-feds-make-or-break-interest-rate-cal">10 ETFs Investors Secretly Bought Before The Fed&#8217;s Make-Or-Break Interest Rate Call</a></li>
</ul>
Federal Reserve illustration created using artificial intelligence via MidJourney.

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Econ #s

ETFs

FTNT

NVDA

ORCL

SBUX

20 S&P 500 Stocks That Move The Most When The Fed Starts Cutting Interest Rates

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/23/11/35920779/us-mortgage-applications-surge-as-rates-dip-is-the-industry-moving-out-of-the-woods">its lowest point</a> in two years as markets anticipate the Federal Reserve lowering its key interest for the first time in four years, perhaps by as much as 50 basis points.
The rate for the most popular home loan fell 14 basis points in the week ended Sept. 13 to 6.15%, marking the lowest rate since September 2022, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday.
The rate also fell 14 basis points during the previous week.
&#8220;The 30-year fixed mortgage rate, at 6.15 percent, is now at its lowest since September 2022 and is more than a full percentage point lower than a year ago,&#8221; said Joel Kan, MBA's deputy chief economist.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/07/39621351/mortgage-applications-fall-as-rates-climb-back-above-7">Mortgage Applications Fall As Rates Climb Back Above 7%</a>
"Refinance applications were up 24 percent – more than double last year's pace, with both conventional and government activity jumping to the fastest pace of refinancing since 2022."
The refinancing share of mortgage activity increased to 51.2% of total applications from 46.7% the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity increased to 5.9% of total applications.
Price Action: Mortgage lenders saw gains and losses during Wednesday&#8217;s trading session.
<ul>
<li>Rocket Companies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RKT#NYSE">RKT</a>) was down 1.35% to $20.39.</li>
<li>Bank of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) dropped 0.13% to $39.50.</li>
<li>LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TREE#NASDAQ">TREE</a>) was up 0.27% to $58.53</li>
</ul>
Exchange-traded funds that hold these stocks also rose and fell on Wednesday.
<ul>
<li>The Meet Kevin Pricing Power ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PP#NYSE">PP</a>) was down 0.31%.</li>
<li>Adaptiv Select ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADPV#NYSE">ADPV</a>) rose 0.11%.</li>
<li>Davis Select Financial ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DFNL#BATS">DFNL</a>) was up 0.22%.</li>
</ul>
Read Now:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/08/40485557/30-year-mortgage-rates-hit-15-month-low-but-applications-pull-back-after-recent-spikes-real-esta">30-Year Mortgage Rates Hit 15-Month Low, But Applications Pull Back After Recent Spikes: Real Estate Stocks React Wednesday (CORRECTED)</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Real Estate

ADPV

DFNL

TREE

Mortgage Rates Drop To 2-Year Low, Refinancing Hits 'Fastest Pace' Since 2022: Rocket, LendingTree Among Movers

While Vice President Kamala Harris surges ahead in polls against her Republican rival Donald Trump, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40810498/bill-ackman-and-elon-musk-blast-kamala-harris-for-her-social-media-posts-during-debate-with-trump-ev">she hasn&#8217;t found much traction in the business and investing world. </a>Hedge fund manager John Paulson, the founder of New York-based investment firm Paulson &amp; Co. said on Tuesday in a media appearance that he would pull his money off the market in the eventuality of a Harris win, while Tesla CEO Elon Musk flagged something even more ominous.
Chalk &amp; Cheese: The market timing and investor timing will depend on who the president is, <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/billionaire-hedge-fund-manager-says-he-would-pull-his-money-from-market-harris-wins-election">said </a>Paulson in an interview with conservative media outlet Fox News. Paulson is a pro-Trumper and a Republican donor, and the ex-president reciprocates the sentiment. In March, a Bloomberg report said Trump was considering the hedge fund manager for the role of Treasury Secretary.
&#8220;If Harris was elected [I] would pull my money from the market. I&#8217;d go into cash, and I&#8217;d go into gold because I think the uncertainty regarding the plans they outlined would create a lot of uncertainty in the markets and likely lower markets,&#8221; he told Fox News. 
Paulson is known for his profitable bet against the subprime mortgage in 2007.
 While Trump wants to extend the 2017 tax cuts implemented during his term in office, Harris was planning to allow them to expire, he said, adding that the latter seeks to raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% and the capital gains tax from 20% to 28%.
The vice president has also proposed a 25% tax on unrealized gains for people having a net worth of $100 million or more, Paulson said. If implemented it would cause &#8220;mass selling of almost everything – stocks, bonds, homes, art – I think it would result in a crash in the markets and an immediate, pretty quick recession,&#8221; he added.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-value-stocks">Best Value Stocks</a>
Musk Chimes In: When Mario Nawfal, who hosts shows and Twitter Spaces, shared the Fox News clipping of Paulson&#8217;s interview, Musk said, &#8220;[Warren] Buffett is already preparing for this outcome.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Buffett is already preparing for this outcome <a href="https://t.co/fYT6s9uiHo">https://t.co/fYT6s9uiHo</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1836269587710775528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Musk, who has publicly pledged allegiance to Trump after the first assassination attempt against the former president in a Pennsylvania campaign rally, apparently referred to Berkshire Hathaway, the firm led by Buffett, divesting large positions in some of its key holdings.
Berkshire sold 115 million Apple shares in the first quarter and followed up the sales of another 390 million shares in the second quarter. At the end of June, the firm still owned 400 million Apple shares despite the disposals. At Berkshire&#8217;s annual shareholder meeting held in May, the investment guru said the decision to sell the firm&#8217;s biggest holding Apple was to raise cash to foot the federal tax bill and also in line with his intention to hold more cash during times of uncertainty.
The company&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/08/40150958/berkshire-hathaways-massive-277m-cash-hoard-rekindles-tesla-investment-chatter-fund-manager-says-two">cash position at the end of the June quarter was a massive $277 billion. </a>
The Buffet-run investment holding company has also been trimming its stake in Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>), another of its core portfolio stocks.
The Berkshire chairman and CEO vouches for value investing &#8211; an investment strategy of betting on quality stocks that trade well below their intrinsic value. He rarely invests in techs, which qualify as growth stocks. Musk, for his part, has been sending feelers to Berkshire and Buffett via his social media posts regarding investing in his flagship electric-vehicle company.
Since Buffett is regarded as a model investor known for his risk-averse strategies, any decision to reduce his equity holdings could negatively impact sentiment toward stocks.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40913930/kamala-harris-moves-from-13-point-deficit-to-7-point-lead-over-trump-in-survey-of-fund-managers-stra">Kamala Harris Moves From 13-Point Deficit To 7-Point Lead Over Trump In Survey Of Fund Managers, Strategists And Economists: Here&#8217;s Why Most Favor A Divided Government</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock

Government

Regulations

Politics

Media

Elon Musk Says Warren Buffett Is Positioning For Kamala Harris Win With His $277B Cash Pile As Pro-Trumper John Paulson Warns Of Equity Market Exit

Offerings

Bank Of America Plans To Redeem On September 25, 2024, All $2B Of Its 0.981% Fixed/Floating Rate Senior Notes, Due September 2025

Stocks held by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/top-stories/24/07/39677935/credit-card-debt-rises-as-consumers-face-higher-costs-of-living">consumer-lending firms</a> fell last week after Wall Street executives warned of lower-income borrowers&#8217; struggling to pay bills.
What Happened: Banking executives at a recent Barclays conference in New York noted how delinquencies are on the rise, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/americans-credit-debt-spending-interest-rates-f3836f23">reported</a>.
The average interest rate on a credit card as of May was 21.51%, up from around 15% in 2019, Federal Reserve data shows.
About 9.1% of credit card balances turned delinquent over the past 12 months to mark the highest rate in over a decade, according to an August report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
"What that tells you is if people do get behind on their payments in this environment, it's tougher to get out of them," TD Cowen analyst Moshe Orenbuch said.
Read Also: &#8216;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate/24/08/40666981/the-time-has-come-to-adjust-cheaper-mortgage-rates-could-be-just-weeks-away-but-it-all-hinges-on-thi">The Time Has Come to Adjust&#8217; — Cheaper Mortgage Rates Could Be Just Weeks Away, But It All Hinges On This Data</a>
Why It Matters: Bread Financial, a credit card company that serves lower-income borrowers, said it expects higher charge-off rates — balances that banks write off as a result of lack of payments — this year.
Late payments and charge-offs on auto loans were higher than expected in July and August as borrowers grapple with the cost of living and a worsening labor market, Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALLY#NYSE">ALLY</a>) CFO Russ Hutchinson said.
This worried investors because car payments are usually the last bills to go delinquent because cars are needed for transportation.
The average interest rate on a 60-month loan for a new car was 8.2% as of May, according to Fed data, up from 5.3% in 2019.&nbsp;
Over the past year, roughly 8% of auto loans turned delinquent, according to the New York Fed, the highest rate in over a decade. 
Price Action: Consumer-lending companies trended upward into Tuesday&#8217;s early afternoon trading.
<ul>
<li>Enova International Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENVA#NYSE">ENVA</a>) rose 3.48% to $83.32</li>
<li>Qifu Techhnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QFIN#NASDAQ">QFIN</a>) gained 1.02% to $25.17</li>
<li>Regional Management Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RM#NYSE">RM</a>) went up 2.4% to $33.25</li>
</ul>
Car-loan providers also rose on Tuesday.
<ul>
<li>Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) inched up 0.93% to $39.47</li>
<li>Ally Financial gained 2.42% to $33.83</li>
<li>Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>) picked up 3.13% to $145.36</li>
</ul>
Read Now: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/23/09/34443643/consumer-confidence-wavers-will-retail-stocks-face-a-reckoning">Consumer Confidence Wavers: Will Retail Stocks Face A Reckoning?</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Economics

Personal Finance

ENVA

QFIN

Not Paying Your Bills? Wall Street Worries That Too Many Credit Card Balances Are Turning Delinquent

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) shares are trading higher on Tuesday. The bank appointed two executives to spearhead a new initiative aimed at integrating its investment banking and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/wealth-management">wealth management divisions</a>.
The bank targets increased asset growth and deal opportunities, as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-16/bofa-names-leaders-to-better-align-investment-bank-wealth-units?sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported </a>Bloomberg.
Jim Rourke and Michael Liu have been appointed to&nbsp;lead the newly named Private Client Partnership Development.
Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/09/40729471/bank-of-america-makes-largest-ever-investments-in-carbon-capture-bets-205m-on-a-cleaner-planet-r" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bank Of America Makes Largest-Ever Investments In Carbon Capture, Bets $205M On A Cleaner Planet</a>
Brendan Hanley&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sam Kumar, co-heads of emerging growth and regional coverage, stated that Rourke and Liu will focus on sell-side M&amp;A opportunities to "increase the quality of actionable mandates and growth of managed assets,".
This month, the bank announced a bold wage hike, driving its minimum hourly rate&nbsp;to $24 and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/09/40792082/whats-going-on-with-bank-of-america-stock-on-tuesday" rel="noreferrer noopener"> edging closer to a $25 goal by 2025</a>.
This increase will raise the minimum annual salary for full-time U.S. employees to almost $50,000 and applies to all full-time and part-time hourly roles.
Investors can gain access to the stock via&nbsp;First Trust Nasdaq Bank ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FTXO#NASDAQ">FTXO</a>)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Invesco KBW Bank ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KBWB#NASDAQ">KBWB</a>).
Price Action: BAC shares are up 0.30% at $39.22 premarket at the last check Tuesday.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40886945/if-fed-cuts-interest-rates-credit-card-aprs-are-still-going-to-be-high-for-now-econ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">If Fed Cuts Interest Rates, Credit Card APRs &#8216;Are Still Going To Be High&#8217; For Now, Economist Says</a></li>
</ul>

Bank Of America Appoints Executives To Lead New Venture: Report

Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bearish approach towards Bank of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in BAC usually suggests something big is about to happen.
We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 11 extraordinary options activities for Bank of America. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 18% leaning bullish and 81% bearish. Among these notable options, 7 are puts, totaling $342,835, and 4 are calls, amounting to $315,220.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $34.0 to $41.0 for Bank of America during the past quarter. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Bank of America's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Bank of America's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $34.0 to $41.0 over the preceding 30 days.
<h3>Bank of America Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1726581695_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$5.85</td>
<td>$5.8</td>
<td>$5.85</td>
<td>$35.00</td>
<td>$151.5K</td>
<td>407</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">300</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$6.95</td>
<td>$6.85</td>
<td>$6.95</td>
<td>$34.00</td>
<td>$110.5K</td>
<td>1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$2.75</td>
<td>$2.7</td>
<td>$2.75</td>
<td>$41.00</td>
<td>$50.3K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">195</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$2.75</td>
<td>$2.7</td>
<td>$2.74</td>
<td>$41.00</td>
<td>$50.2K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">195</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BAC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$2.46</td>
<td>$2.43</td>
<td>$2.46</td>
<td>$41.00</td>
<td>$49.2K</td>
<td>3.0K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">200</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Bank of America</h3>
Bank of America is one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, with more than $3.0 trillion in assets. It is organized into four major segments: consumer banking, global wealth and investment management, global banking, and global markets. Bank of America's consumer-facing lines of business include its network of branches and deposit-gathering operations, retail lending products, credit and debit cards, and small-business services. The company's Merrill Lynch operations provide brokerage and wealth-management services, as does its private bank. Wholesale lines of business include investment banking, corporate and commercial real estate lending, and capital markets operations. Bank of America has operations in several countries but is primarily US-focused.
In light of the recent options history for Bank of America, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
<h3>Present Market Standing of Bank of America</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 1,472,951, with BAC's price up by 1.1%, positioned at $39.53.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 28 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on Bank of America</h3>
Over the past month, 1 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $45.0.
<ul>
<li>An analyst from Deutsche Bank upgraded its action to Buy with a price target of $45. </li>
</ul>
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Bank of America options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.

Unpacking the Latest Options Trading Trends in Bank of America

Bank of America: Lackluster, Headwinds Forming A Bearish Setup (Technical Analysis)

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) has continued to decrease its holdings in Bank of America ($BAC). Over the three trading days e...

Buffett's Berkshire Continues to Reduce its Stake in Bank of America (BAC)

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has made headlines once again by offloading more shares in Bank of America ($BAC), netting an impressive $9 bil...

Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway Cuts Bank of America Shares

My Dividend Stock Portfolio: New August Dividend Record - 101 Holdings With 17 Buys

Bank of America CEO Lauds Buffett as BAC Shares Are Sold

Warren Buffett's Berkshire continues to cut Bank of America stake

Bank of America Corporation (BAC) 29th Annual Financials CEO Conference (Transcript)

Merrill Lynch, Harvest Volatility agree to pay $9.3M to resolve SEC charges

Pioneer Disciplined Value Fund Q2 2024 Performance And Market Commentary

Bank Of America: Revealing Buffett's Likely Selling Motives

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BACRP

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BMWYY

BXSL

CBAUF

CMSA

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CMSD

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GAIN

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GOOD

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Screenshot 2024-06-24 at 9.48.04 PM

Commodities

Gold Prices Continue On An Uptrend – Is It The Right Time To Buy The Metal Now For Profits In 2024?

Press Releases

BofA Raises U.S. Minimum Hourly Wage to $24, Increasing Starting Salary to Nearly $50K

Analysts Lower Oil Forecasts Amid Demand Slowdown

Bank of America Announces Redemption of $1,750,000,000 3.093% Fixed/Floating Rate Senior Notes, Due October 2025

The Masters Tournament Welcomes Bank of America as Champion Partner

Bank of America Announces Redemption of $2,000,000,000 0.981% Fixed/Floating Rate Senior Notes, Due September 2025

Bank of America Declares Preferred Stock Dividends for Fourth Quarter 2024

BofA Names David Dowd Asheville President

Bank of America Announces Full Redemption of Its Series Z Preferred Stock and Related Depositary Shares

BofA to Open More Than 165 Financial Centers by End of 2026

Bank of America Chicago Marathon Creates Record Breaking $547 Million Impact on Chicago Economy in 2023

Banco Bradesco Sa American Depositary Shares

Bank Bradesco

Banco Bradesco Sa American Depositary Shares (each representing one Common Share)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Common Stock

Barclays

Banco Santander Brasil SA American Depositary Shares, each representing one unit

Banco Santander

Citigroup

First Citizens BancShares, Inc. - Class A Common Stock

First Citizens BancShares

Fifth Third Bancorp

HDFC Bank

HSBC Holdings

ICICI Bank

ING Groep

Itau Unibanco Banco Holding SA American Depositary Shares (Each repstg 500 Preferred shares)

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